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James Bidgood | “Joy is the Essence of Success,” C★NDY

From Luke Abby’s in-depth interview with James Bidgood for Issue 11 of C★NDY:

James Bidgood is a legend. The complete artist.

The day we met, he wrote in my copy of Pink Narcissus: “Luke we only just met, knowing you has been so lovely, forgive the handwriting, I am stoned. Please don’t abandon me too soon. Love, Jim”.

I remember the first time we spoke on the phone. It was winter. I was stoned laying in the bath. We must have spoken for hours. I couldn’t believe I was talking with the James Bidgood! The first time I met him was on the street outside his house on 14th Street. There he was, sitting on the water hydrant in his purple shirt. I had my dog with me and he bit James on the hand. Later that day I took him to get his flu shot, then we went to my place, got stoned and he showed me the staircase scene from The Great Ziegfeld. He told me it changed his life as a kid. Then it all made sense.